Atomizing apparatus.



No. 664,923. Patented 1an'. i, 590|.'

R. L. BENSON.

ATomzmG APPARATUS.

(Application filed Aug. 4, 1899.)

tm modem :2i

lINiTeD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT LEE BENSON, CF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ATOM IZING 'PPARATU SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 664,923, dated January 1, 1901.

Application filed Anggt 4,

a full, clearconcise, and exact description,

reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to atomizing vaporizer apparatus, which has for its object the provision of an improved apparatus adapted to individual use.

It is well known that the inhalation of vaporized medicaments properlyprepared is,very efficacious in the treatment of nearly all diseases of the respiratory tract; but one difficulty that has presented itself -inv the thorough application of drugs to affected air-passages has been in the expense, unsatisfactory action, and imperfect construction of atomizing-inhalers that have been formerly used. Especially is this truevof any vaporizing apparatus for individual use that has heretofore been devised. mere inhalation of the medicaments is not sufficient to force them into all portions of diseased lungs from the trachea bronchial tubes down and into the pulmonary alveoli. 'Vhile it is possible to carry minute nebulized medicaments into the smallest bronchi and pulmonary alveoli of'a healthy lung, this is not true of a diseased lung, Where it has partially through adhesive inflammation closed these passages, and as scarcely any fresh air enters such lung-passages substances mixed with air will not enter. .It is therefore necessary to apply pressure at the entrance of the respiratory passages and by the joint action of pressure` and aspiration secure the desired absorption of medicament that the -aspir-ation alone would not effect.

It is the object of my invention to provide inexpensiveimproved means for overcoming The mechanical diiiculties in the way of the satisfactory operation of nebulizingapparatus for individual use by which the chemically-pureatomized vapor vmaybe thoroughly supplied to the air-passages under pressure by the patient himself or by some one for him, either at home or when traveling about.

,mechanisms 8 and 9.

'It is also Well known that Ashort distance.

1899. sain No. 72ans. (Numtel.)

I will explain my invention in detail byreference to the accompanying drawing, which shows the assembled apparatus partly in section ready for use, the cover of the containing-case being removed;

The essential parts of my apparatusare a pump, a storing-chamber, a nebulizing-cham ber, a heater, a filter, anda nebulizer. For

Vportable use l preferably employ a doubleacting foot-pump l of' improved design for furnishing air at` practically constant pressure to the storage-chamber 2.- I preferably construct the pnmpof a cylindrical shell 3, having a cover 4 screwed tightly to its upper edge. Two valve mechanisms 5 and 6 at the opposite ends of the pump-shell alternatelyv permit air freely to enter this pump-shell, but eectively prevent its return. l preferably employ a hollow pistou-rod 7, with two valve Theair'of the pumpchamber is freely admitted through these valves into the hollow piston-rod, said valves preventing the return of the air to the pump. The piston consists of the cylindrical portion l0, with its` two Washers 11 and 12, tightened in place by jam-nuts.v In this pump I preferably employ 'a removable stirru'p 13, fastened tothe bodyof the-pump by the threaded rod 14. The handle preferably consists of a cross-bar 15, fastened to the fork 16, having threaded engagement with the piston-rod. The airis forced from the piston-rod through a connecting-tube 17, communicating therewith and made preferably of rubber, through a metallic coupling 18 and a metallic tube 19, and through a filter 2O into the ystoragechamber 2. of a cylindrical chamber, into which the inlet and eductiontnbes 19 and 21 project a With a dust-.absorbing material, such as cot- This filter consists, essentially,`A

rIhe filter-chamber is filled ton, which thoroughly cle/arises the air by ridding it of all dust and grit.' I preferably al'- low the inlet and outlet tubes 19 and 21 to project into the lilter-chamber'in order to have the filtering material securely inclose I preferably place some suitable loose gauze saturated with some suitable antiseptic compound. suoltjaseil ,ofY cloves, at the bottom of this chamber. Iprefa their ends, so that no unlilteredfair can pass, the filter by following crevices alongv the ab# vsoi-hing material.

erablyplace enough of the antiseptic compound in the jar 2, so that a little free oil or compound will be present. The oil-vapor mixes with the air and renders it antiseptic. The antiseptic air leaves the storing-chamber by means of the tube 22, which leads it through the Vaporizer or nebulizer 23 into the nebulizing-chamber 24. This nebulizer is of an im proved construction which is especially valuable 4in this apparatus. Nebulizers as previously constructed required great skill in their manufacture and were of such nature that their parts becameeasily displaced and destroyed, and it was extremely difiicult to properly clean them. In the nebulizer of my construction I preferably employ a metal' tube 25, which is closed at its lower end.V I preferably construct the tube with an increased outer diameter a short distance from the bottom, thereby forming a projection 26, which enables it to fit snugly against another tube 27, which is slipped over its lower part. A smaller tube 28, whose upper surface is preferably made slanting and which is tapered slightly at the top, is fastened to the tube 27. This is a satisfactory arrangement of uniting the tubes 25 and 28, although means other than those employed may be used. The tube 28 dips into the medicated menstruum 29. A duct 30 leads from the tube 25 through the enlarged portion 26 into the chamber 24. This preferably slanting duct is preferably placed in such manner as to justfail tQ-clear the slanted and tapered top of tube 28. 'When the air passes through this duct, itdraws the liquid 29 through the tube 28 by means of its suction. The medicated monstruum upon coming in contact with the air under pressure is vaporized and blown in a fine spray toward the upper part ofthe nebulizing-chamber against its side, the excess returning to the bottom of the chamber. y K

, The vaporized medicament is conducted by means of a tube 3l from the nebulizing-chamber to a heater 32, which consists, preferably, of coiled metal tubing through which the atomized vapor circulates. This tubingis in- `closed by an asbestos or sheet-metal box 33 i 'or` may be left exposed, according to the degree of heat desired. Heat is supplied tothe surroundingr and inclosed air-space by a small lamp 34, preferably placed below7 the heater. Small openings' may be provided in the heater cap or casing to promote circulation. 'The heat generated raises the temperature of the vaporizcd medicament some degrees higher than the normal temperature of the throat or lungs in order to facilitate the deposition of the vapor-ized medicament upon the colder pulmonary passages, th us promoting and assisting the penetrability'of the Vaporized medicamen t. Absorption is also aided by the heat, which is quite as important, whereby consolidated areas inclosing ineapsuled bacilli may be reached. The heater may be used to heat the air passing into the nebulizer instead, of heating the Vapor leaving it with Y equallyg'ood results, according to the effect of heat on the medicaments used. A drip 35, v preferably consisting of a tube 36, with a screw-cap 37, is also preferably provided for or an inhalation face-mask may be used,.cov

ering both the nose and mouth.

l preferably employ acoupling 39 between the heater and the rubber, which will not conduct heat' rapidly. I preferably provide a by-pass 40 between the inlet-tube 22 of the ,nebulizing-chamber and its outlet-tube 3l. VI

preferably employ a stop-cock 4l in this by- From the heater hevaporized medica'- pass, which is closed when the apparatus is Y used as an ordinary nehulizing-inhaler. I also preferably employ a stop-cock 42 iu the tion is open. washing or spraying the affected passages or to secure hot air alone, I preferably close the stop-cock 42 and open the stop-cock Llfl,.`and

the filtered antiseptic air may pass directly4 99. outlet-tube 3l, which in the ordinary opera- Y through the heater to a wash-bottle or other apparatus without passing through the nebu- Y lizing-chamber. All parts and connections or connecting-tubes are preferably made of some material that is not attacked by the medicaments used-as, for instance, glass or block-tin-the kind of material-used being determined by the nature of the medicaments employed.

By the application of antisepticized air under pressure tothe apparatus I am enabled to supply the germicide medicament to all To utilize the apparatus for Y affected passages without depending solely on ,v

the endosmoti'c power of the lungs. The pul- `n iona'ry areas with impaired respiratory capacity are reached by means of this pressure,

and any germ will be medicinally acted upon Y i Y unless it be too thickly incapsuled, in which case, however, it is unlikely to do further damage The piston working back and forth in the cylinder of the pump also generates heat by vitsf frictional contact with the interior of the cylinder, so that the air is heated before itV is passed into the hollow piston-rod.

WhileI hayeherein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish'to be limited tothe precise construction or arrangement shown, as changes in the details of the apparatus may readily be made without departing from the spirit thereof; but,

Having thus described my invention, Iv

claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, the following:

1. In an atomizingapparatus, the combination with a pump, of aY filter through which 'the pump is adapted to force air under pres- V22, a chamber 24, a tube 25 within the latter lchamber and having-communication with a tube 22, a nebulizer communicating with the tube 25, a coiled metallic tube 32, means for heating said tube, a rubber or composite tube 38 communicating with the tube 32, and a non heat conducting coupling unitingA the tube 38 with the tube 32, substantially as described. v

2. In au atomizing apparatus, the combination with a pump provided with a tube lfor conveying air under pressure, an air-chamber 2 for containing antiseptic 'communicating with said tube, a filter 20 through which air is passed into the chamber, a second tube 22, a third tube 25 communicating with the tube 22, a second chamber 24 for containing medicament, a duct 31, and a nozzle in communication with said duct, substantially as described.

In an atomizing apparatus, the combination with a pump provided with a tube 17 for conveying air under pressure, an air-chamber 2 for containing antiseptic communicating with said tube, a filter 20 through which air is passed. into the chamber, a second tube 22, a third tube 25 communicating with the tube 22, a second'chamber 24 for containing medicament, uebulizing means communicating with the tube 25 and located within the chamber 24, a duct 3l, and a nozzle in communication with said duct,substantia1ly as described.

4. In an atomizingapai'atus, the combination with a pump provided with a tube 17 for conveying air under pressure, an air-chamber 2 for containing antiseptic communicating with said tube, a filter 20 through which air is passed into the chamber, a second tube 22, a third tube y25 communicating with the tube 22, a second chamber 24 for containing medicament, nebulizing means communicating with the tube 25 and located within the chamber 24, a duct 3l, a nozzle in communicationv with said duct, and means for heating the vapor, substantially as described.

5. In an atomizing a paratus, the combination with an air#cha;n er 2., of aduct leading thereto, a pump i'dnupplying air through said duct, a lt'er through which the air is passed,a second chamber for containing medicament having com munication with the aforesaid chamber,V a duct leading from the second chamber, a by-pass, and means associated therewith for cutting out one of the said chambers, substantially as described'.

6. In a portable atomizing apparatus, the

combination with a chamber for containingv material to be vaporized, of a pump communicating with said chamber, a filter through4 which air is passed from the pump to the chamber, a duct leading from the chamber, and ano'zzle having communication with said duct, substantially as described.

l 7. In a portable atomizing apparatus, the combination with a chamber for containing material to be vaporized, of a double-acting pump communicating withsaid chamber, a. iilter through which air is passed from the pump to the chamber, a duct leading from the chamber, anda nozzle having communication with said duct, substantially as described.

8. In a portable atomizing apparatus,the combination with a chamber for containing material to be vaporized, of a pump communicating with said chamber, a filter through which air is passed` from the pump to the chamber, a duct leading froml the chamber, .l

a nozzlehaving communication with said duct, means for heating the medicated air, a

tube to which the air is conveyed after being heated, and a coupling formed of a non-heatconducting material for conveying the air afterbeing hgated to the tube, substantially as described.

In Witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 2d day of August, A. D. 1899.

- ROBERT LEE BENSON.

Witnesses:

GEORGE L. Calice,v

CHARLES E. HUBERT. 

